𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖒𝖊𝖓𝖘𝖆𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖒 | d.f. |

🦋 dominic18 🦋

[ 6:22 AM ]

as the bus bobs along the freeway, the daybreak peeks through the trees we're passing. it's still pretty dark out but i can see the features of the trees more vividly than before.

i watch everything through the window, my head laying against the glass.

soraya's head rests comfortably on my shoulder and she sleeps without a sound.

there's not that many people on the bus. some wore masks, others didn't.

the less people eases my mind. the fewer individuals, the fewer trouble that could arise.

the last thing we need is someone dying and the trip gets delayed.

[unknown number]
hey apple, its dom. i think
you're sleep... this is my
new # for right now. call
me when you can

i type the message out slowly. i can't believe i'm using a flip phone.

i send the message and try to enjoy the ride. i try to ease my mind.

"relax. i can feel your shoulder tensing up," soraya says, not asleep.

i smile.

"my bad. i'm worried. maybe we should've hitchhiked. this bus is going too slow."

"relaaax," she drags out, "we'll get there. it's been what, two days so far of the virus. i think she's in the clear. your siblings seem to be immune."

i catch a hint of surprise in her voice.

"i didn't even notice that, but i'm the only one with powers."

"i don't know. still cool. you have your family."

"you can be a part of ours," i offer.

she lifts her head off my shoulder and looks at me.

"i can't," she sighs, shaking her head.

"why not? we, of course, don't have to be anything."

"i don't even know your last name," she chuckles.

"fike. dominic fike."

"okay james bond," she laughs, grabbing my hand for the second time since being on the bus, "i will join your family."

i grin at her.

our situation is weird.

we barely know each other and it doesn't feel that way. i wonder if she feels that too.

she sits back, staring at the seat in front of her. i copy her.

"well what's your last name?" i ask.

"peters. boring if you ask me."

"and rose is..."

"my full name is soraya rose peters. it's not much."

"i happen to like your name," i smile, smug.

"eh," she shrugs.

"you seem to know what you want."

"what do you mean?"

"you have your mind made up on a lot of issues."

"i don't know," she says, fiddling her fingers together. "I don't want to be like my mom."

"you won't though," i tell her, "you know how you want to be treated and you have the blueprint of your mom. you have everything you don't want to turn into," i tell her.

"i know... but i can't help but think that certain things have set in. that i won't be able to change no matter how hard i try."

i pass her a consoling look.

she's opening up to me. i want to smile but it's not the time. she's not wrong about certain things being rooted in her. she's got a temper and it's no secret where she got it from.

"OHMYGOD!"

i stand slightly and peer my head over the seats in front of us. the driver is convulsing in her seat. from the mirror in front of her i can see blood spewing from her face. the windshield sprayed with red.

that's when i realize we're drifting into the guard rails on the left us.

"hold on!" i yell to soraya, sitting and grabbing her in my arms, bracing myself for the impact.

the bus slams into the cement and swerves into the opposite lanes. our bodies jerk to the movement as we're bracing ourselves in between the two seats. we begin to rise defying gravity, the bus flipping on the road.

my body uses her energy to induce my force field around us.

i have to protect her.
she can't get hurt.

that's all that matters in this moment.

everyones bodies fly around us; like they weigh nothing; like they're dolls.

soraya grips me tightly, burrowing her head in my chest.

bodies, suitcases and some of the interior of the bus move around us in a perfect hurricane.

everything moves in slow motion.

none of this seems real.

we roll about five times before stopping completely, a guy smacking onto my bubble above us.

soraya slowly picks her head up off my chest, looking around. she jumps at the sight of the guy.

"holy shit dom," she whispers, everything eerily silent.

with a small notion of her head, the guy slides off my bubble, thudding in response.

"you okay?" i ask her, looking down at her.

"yeah," she responds looking up at me, our faces mere centimeters from each other. her face falls into shock. "our stuff!" she looks around. "we need my backpack!"

she tries getting up, pushing her arm into my stomach. i groan and she stops.

"we need a new plan," i mumble.

"sorry."

we landed sideways so soraya and i are laying on broken glass and a window.

"if we get over the seats, we can crawl out from the windshield," she suggests pulling her sleeves down. "we just need to find our things first."

"okay," i nod. "you go first."

i turn on my side, squeezing myself against the seats. soraya stands. i lay on my back after she's on top of the seats.

she disappears, hopping over the seat. her feet crunch the glass beneath us.

i stand carefully, not wanting to cut myself.

"i'll search for our stuff, you try to get out," i tell her.

"we'll find our stuff together," she says.

i sigh.

"fine, but we need to hurry."